State scan: Tamil Nadu - A mix of ups and downs

Tamil Nadu Chief minister M. Karunanidhi saw a fulfilling year.

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Anand Natarajan

Chennai

December 28, 2009

UPDATED: December 31, 2009 20:02 IST

Tamil Nadu saw a mix of ups and downs, hopes and let downs, clashes and accidents. But for one person the year 2009 turned out to be most memorable. In the family and in government the Tamil Nadu Chief minister M. Karunanidhi saw a fulfilling year.

After a rift in the family that created socio-political ripples, the members patched up to face the 2009 general elections. Karunanidhi, with the united family, fought on the campaign trail to become the victor. Though Karunanidhi didn't get the required portfolios and number of seats he had asked for, he could get cabinet berth for some of his favorites like his son M.K. Azhagiri.

These kind of successes paved the way for the opposition parties like AIADMK, PMK, MDMK and DMDK. For AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa, 2009 turned out to be a an year of retreat. She spent much of the year at her Kodanadu estates. With the leader spending her days issuing empty statements to the media, most of her second run leaders and party cadres lost enthusiasm. So much so that a former minister and Nadar community leader Anitha Ramachandran and several other leaders bid good bye to Amma and joined the DMK.

The state Congress, which was issuing open statement of 'wanting a part in the cabinet' for the last two years, went silent about the issue in the entire 2009. Usually the by-elections would be swept by the anti-incumbency votes and give a chance for the opposition to brag about the 'peoples verdict' against the ruling party. No so in Tamilnadu, not this year. The freebie schemes that are implemented in installments plus stash of cash supplied to voters saw to it that the DMK candidates win with 30,000 to 40,000 votes margins. With the pestering PMK out of the alliance and boycotting the bye-elections also added to the winning streak for Karunanidhi.

Though a minority government which rules with the support of the Congress, the DMK rules as if it has got the majority mandate. Elder son, daughter, grand son at the center and younger son at the state - this family oriented and unofficial demarcation of power did came under criticism. But the DMK didn't give much scope for complaint for the public and almost nothing to shout for the opposition. Voter appeasing schemes like free TV sets, free health insurance saw to it that the common man is happy. MK Stalin, who was installed as the Deputy CM in mid 2009, quickly established that he is indeed a good administrator. Industry, irrigation, public works Department and education saw a lot of constructive fast paced work that was visible to the public under Stalin's visible governance.

With no concrete issues, the opposition caught on to the identity politics. When the Srilankan Tamilans faced tragic situations and the LTTE leader killed in battle, Karunanidhi faced fierce criticism of not doing enough to ease the crisis and many even blamed him as the 'traitor of the Tamils.' In the Cauvery issue he was attacked as mortgaging Tamil people's interests to the Karnataka government. Before it was over, the Mullai Periyaru dam issue with Kerala came to the fore. Karunanidhi faced the same blame, only this time a different river, a different state. Though a stubborn man, Karunanidhi could not tolerate the attack on his long held identity of 'the protector of the Tamil race.' After conducting a symbolic fasting at Anna square for the Sri Lankan Tamils, he turned to the very edifice on which his Dravidian politics was built on: The Tamil language. Many criticise his attempt to conduct a grand gala international conference on Classical Tamil as a symbolic shield to wade off the blame of him being anti Tamil.

Just as the shock waves of bloody and highly televised Law College campus wars was receding, the lawyers Vs Police violence at the High Court premises shocked the people of Tamil Nadu. 2009 made one of the bloodiest year for the man on Tamil Nadu's roads and Tamil Nadu even went up a few notches in the list of accident prone states in the country. The worst school van accident made every one complain that the education department and the government is not paying attention to the innocent kids.

2009 saw its share of god men scandals too. Particularly shameful is the leaked mobile clips of a Kanchipuram priest's sexual exploits within the sanctum sanctorum of a temple. In Kollywood several couples parted ways and several high profile couples tied the knots at last. While several big star-big budget movies failed miserably, some small budget movies surprisingly rocked at the box-office.

In sum, 2009 didn't see any major calamities or major socio-political upheavals. Some were extremely happy, some got lucky, some got a bitter taste of disappointment. With the worst of recession is said to be over Tamil Nadu is getting itself ready for a much hoped revived economy.

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